Refrigerator doorlatch



May 23,1933- `1. F. MILLAR ET Ax. 1,910,029

REF'RGERATOR` DOORLATCH Filed May le, 1952 59l '46a/6 A. z5 274%@ 47 4Qj# /7 j #d 46 C2. 5 44a 7 [/v VEN roms; doh/2 FMH/ar, Anfon /Vf/L/ofnv/1y',

ATTO/Nan Patented'May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JoBN F. mLLAnANL ANTON N. HORNUNG, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; AssiGNons T CITYBEFBIGERATOR COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPOM TION 0FCALIFORNIA Barmer-:Ramon incomincia Application mea' may 1e, 1932.serial No. 611,506.

This invention relates to an improved door latch, and relates to a doorlatch especially suitable for use on heavy doors such asrefrigeratordoors.

Many types of latches have been devised for this general use, suchlatches, to the knowledge and belief-of the applicants, consisting ofmembers adapted to move into latching engagement,one of which membersyields as the members move into engagement. For instance, a simple formof /such devices has a hook-shaped catch adapted for mounting on thedoor frame and a bolt yieldably mounted on the door. When the door 1spronounced blow which produces noise and vibration.

It is an object of our invention -to provide a door latch in "whichvboththe bolt element and the catch element are yieldably mounted and movedapart as they come into latching engagement, thereby relieving orreducing to a minimum the blow-striking effect resulting from theengagement of the bolt with the catch of a door latch. jv A furtherobject of the invention is to pro` vide a simpliied form of yieldablecatch forl use in a latch assembly of this character, in which the catchmember properis swingably mounted' in such a mannerthat it may yield tothe pressure of the boltlwhen the bolt is' approaching a position oflatched engagement, but which catch member proper cannot be caused toyield by pressure of -the bolt 4after latching engagement has beenaccomplished.

Further objects and advantages lof the invention will be brought out inthe following part of the specification.

.Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only, i

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a door latch embodying our invention,the partsthereof being in closed or latched position. l Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section on a plane represented by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the catch bracket shown in Fig. 1.

` Fig. 4 is an, elevational view ofthe catch bracket with the catchmember removed therefrom.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, our new latch device embodies a pair ofcooperating latch elements 11 and 12. `In the preferred form of theinvention shown, the latchelement 11 consists of a bolt adapted to bemounted in a supporting plate 13 which may be secured to a refrigeratordoor 14 by means of screws 15. The bolt 11 includes a bar 'structure 16having a roller 17 at its rightward or for'- ward end. The leftward orinner portion 18 of the bar 16 slides in the supporting plate or housing13, and is adapted to be moved leftwardly against the force of a spring20 by means of a bolt or link 21 which extends leftwardly from the rearend -of--the housing 13 to a'pin 22 by which it is connected to thedownwardly projecting lever portion 23 Aof man operating' handle 24which may be secured to the door 14 b v means of a supporting platestructure 26., The latch element 12 is preferably in the form of a catchformed from a body of metal of hook-shaped form having its inner end 27secured to a pivot 28. The outer portion 30 of the member 12 provides ashoulderor face 31 which crosses a line A-A and also lies in a planeB--B perpendicular to the line A-A. Between the shoulder 3-1 and theinner end 27 ofthe member 12 a laterally directed opening i 32 is formedwhich receives the roller 1 7 of the bolt 11. The outer end 30 of themember 12 is also provided with a sloping face 33 extending from 'theleftward end of the shoulder 31 to an apex 34 forming the outerex--providing an upwardly facing shoulder 36 having a hump or short pin 37-iformed there'- A bracket 39 supports the vivot 28 which consists ofapin which exten throughand between holes 40 formed in the ends 41 of aU-shaped wall 42 which projects forwardl 'I v from a base orflange 43having ears 44a wit openings'45 therein for screws 46 by which thebracket 39 is secured to a door frame 47. The U-sha mouth or eftwardportion of the recess 44 between the ends 41 of the wall`42 being facedtoward the line A-A. The base 43 of the" bracket 39 has a. bottom wallstructure cons isting of wall parts 46a and 47a. `The wall 46a beingengaged by the toe 48 formed on the inner portion 27 of the member 12serves asy a stop for limiting the clockwise rotation of the member 12on the pin 28, and the wall 47a is adapted to receive. the upper end ofa spring 50 which engages the shoulder or wall 36 of the member 12 andyieldably rotates the member 12 in such directionthat the shoulder 31thereof is maintained in a position normally crossing and perpendicularto the' line A--A. The spring 50 operates andl is concealed within therecess 44 formed by the U-shaped wall 42.

For convenience of description the line A-A may be called the line ofengagement movement of the primary land secondary parts 11 and 12 of thelatch. The closing of the door from an open position results in themovement of the extremity or roll/er 17 of the latch part or bolt 11 ina direction substantially-as indicated byA the arrow 52 of Fig. 2. Whenthe roller .strikes the catch member 12, it does not strike a solidlymounted unyield-ing metal member, but the catch 12 being yieldablymounted, as previously described, swings in anti-clockwise directionagainst thx pressure of the spring 50, and at the same time the leftwardreaction against the roller 17 causes the bolt 11 to move leftwardlyagainst the `pressure of the spring 20, with the result that the parts11 and 12 pass to their respective positions, indicated by dotted lines53 and 54, as the position of final latching engagement, shown in full'lines in Fig. 2, is approached. During their movement in engagementtoward latched position, the parts 11 and 12 separate or yield indirections .substantially normal to the line of movement AA, with theresult that the engagement of the parts 11 and 12 is cushioned and thelatching operation is easily accomplished. The roller 17 engages theshoulder 31 of the member 12 substantially on the line A-A and thepressure of the roller 17 against the shoulder 31 is outwardly along theline A-A, or, in other words, along the line which passes through theaxis of the pivot means 28;- accordingly, the outward pressure of thebolt sructure 11 cannot produce rotation of the catch member 12.

d wall 42 defines a recess 44; the

by the arrowv 57, which results in pulling the bolt structure 11leftwardly relative to the catch member 12.

Although we have hereinshown and described our invention in simple andpractical form, .it is reco ized thatl certain parts or elements thereo1are representative of other parts, elements or mechanisms which maybeused in substantially the same manner to accomplish*substantially thesame results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention isnot to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accordedthe full scope of the following claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A latch device of the character described, including: a catch member;a bolt member adapted to move along a line of movement into en agementwith said catch member; means or supporting said bolt member andmovingthe same through said line of movementsaid bolt member being mounted on'said supporting melanslso as to recede from said catch member in adirection normal to said line of movement; means porting said catchmember, said catch memer belng of hook form and having its inner endpivotally secured to said bracket at a point proximate to said line ofmovement and aving a shoulder4 near 1ts\ outer end disposed to crosssaid line of ovement and in a plane substantially perpendicular to saidline of movement, said catch member being adapted to swing said shoulderaway from said bolt member as said bolt membery moves in engagement withsaid catch member towardlatched position; means for yieldably forcingsaid catch member' toward said bolt member, both of said membersyielding as they move in engagement toward latched position; and meansfor separating said members so as to release the same.

2. A latch device of the character described, includingi: a catchmember; a bolt member adapted t'o move along aline of movement into enagement with said catch member; means or .supporting said bolt memberand moving the same through said line of movement, said bolt memberbeing mounted on said supporting means so as to recede from said catchmember in a direction normal to said line of movement; means yieldablyforcing said -bolt member toward said line of movement; a ybracket forsuporting said catch member, said catch memher being ofjhook form `andhaving one end Apivotally securedto said bracket at a point line ofmovement and in a plane substantially perpendicular to said line ofmovement, said catch member being adapted to swing said shoulder awayfrom said bolt member as .said bolt member moves in engagement with saidcatch member toward latched position; means for yieldably forcing saidcatch member toward said bolt member, both of said members yielding asthey move in engagement toward latched position; and means' for movingsaid bolt member from engagement with said catch member.

3. A latch device of the character described, including: a catch member;a bolt member adapted to move along a line of movement into engagementwith said catch member; means for supporting said bolt member and movingthe same through said e line of movement, said bolt member being recess,the mouth of which is directed toward,

said line of movement., said catch member being pivoted in said mouth,and said catch member being of hook form and having its outer endprovided with a shoulder disposed to cross said line of movement and ina plane substantially perpendicular to said line of movement, and saidouter end having a sloping face approaching said shoulder in position tobe engaged by said bolt; a spring in said recess for' forcing said catchmember toward outwardly projecting position, said bolt member and saidouter end of said catch member yielding in opposite directions as saidbolt member moves in engagement with said sloping face of said catchmember toward latching engagement with said shoulder; and means formoving said bolt member from engagement with said catch member.

4. A latch device of the character described, including: a catch member;a bolt member adapted to move along a line of movement into engagementwith said catch member; means for supporting said bolt member and movingthe same through said line of movement, said bolt-member being mountedon said supporting means so as to recede from said catch member in adirection normal to said line of movement; meansV line of movement, andsaid catch member being of hook form and having its outer end providedwith a shoulder disposed to cross said line of movement and in a planesubstantially perpendicular to said line of movement, and said outer endhaving a sloping face approaching said shoulder in position to be enaged by said bolt; a spring 1n said recess or forcing said catch-membertoward outwardly projecting Vposition said bolt member and said outerend of said catch member yielding in opposite directions as said boltmember movesin engagement with said sloping face of said catch membertoward latching engagement with said shoulder; and means for moving saidbolt member from engagement with said catch member.

5. A catch device of the character described adapted for use with a boltwhich moves along a line of movement into engagement with said catchdevice, including: a bracket having a base with a U-shaped wall thereonforming a recess adapted to be directed toward said line of movement; acatch member having its inner end pivotally secured in the mouth of saidrecess on an axis in proximity to said line of movement, said catchmember being of hookI form and having a shoulder within its outer end.disposed in a position to cross said line of movement and in a. planeperpendicular to said line of movement; and a spring in ,said recess foryieldably holding said catch member in outward position with theshoulder thereof perpendicularly crossing said., line of movement.

-6. A catch device of the character described adapted for use with abolt which moves along a line of movement into engagementl with saidcatch device, including: a bracket having a base with a U-shaped wallthereon forming a recess adapted to be directed toward said line ofmovement; a catch member having its inner end pivotally serecess foryieldably holdingsaid catch member in outward position with the shoulderthereof perpendicularly crossing said line of movement.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles,Californi, this 10th day of May, 1932.

JOI-IN F. MILLAR. ANTON N. HORNUNG.

